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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ball — a great time
  6. branch — a division
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mine — for digging
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lean — thin
  11. pitch — completely
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ball — a dance
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. face — part of the head
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. root — the cause
  20. face — to point toward
  21. root — of a word
  22. face — to confront
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com